


The Waves Carry My Woes

by thelinksthatconnectus (orphan_account)



Category: Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Disabled Character, F/F, Femslash, Fluff, POV Female Character, Post-Games, Yuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-14
Updated: 2015-03-06
Packaged: 2018-01-15 18:05:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1314160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/thelinksthatconnectus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aryll's life has changed since she was kidnapped, and continued to change from there. Her life has its ups, downs, and everything in between. Becoming a pirate is all of that and more.</p><p>This is a series of drabbles mainly focused on Aryll and her relationships (including Tetra/Aryll and a platonic relationship with her brother), as she grows and changes upon the sea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Island Sand

i.

Even after years of being out in the open air and sailing over the raging sea, she had yet to face a sun so hot. This peaceful island had seemed like a peaceful place, a temperate land that somehow fascinated the people there enough that most never even left.

How could they do it? Tetra wiped sweat from her forehead. If she had to face this kind of heat then she would get out, and fast.

The two seemed to not mind the heat, as did the other children roaming around the beach. They ranged in ages, some quite young, and others around Aryll's age. Tetra and Link were the oldest out of everyone their. From the distance, a few adults watched them. There were even a few pigs wondering around the beach!

"Hey, Tetra!" Aryll called, waving her hands. "Want to come help Link and I build our sand castle? It's going to be amazing!"

She bit her lip; there were so many other things that she could be doing. This was supposed to only be a quick stop, one where Link could see his family and the rest of the crew could get supplies. She had expected a few heartwarming moments, one that she wouldn't break up this time, but she hadn't exactly expected this.

"Oh, Tetra, please?" Aryll's eyes widened. "Please?"

Link pulled the same look, though he didn't do it quite as well; Tetra had to keep herself from laughing.

"Fine," she said. She put her hand on her hips. "If we find any treasure here then it's mine. Deal?"

"Deal!" Aryll began to wave her arms again. "I've already found some!"

Tetra grinned. "Really?"

"Really!"

Link furiously nodded beside her.

Tetra ran forward. "Well don't mind if I take a look!"

The so called treasure turned out to be a bunch of seashells, and dirty, slightly broken ones at that. "This is what you guys consider treasure?"

Link smirked. His hands were still, but she could already imagine what he would be signing.

Aryll nodded. "They're pretty."

"Yeah..."

"Do you not want them?" The girl's wide smile quickly turned into a frown, and she slumped slightly.

"No, of course I do!" Tetra looked down to them. "I'm sure there are lots of things that I could do with them. Maybe I'll throw them at my crew to keep them in line!"

Aryll burst out laughing, and Link couldn't help but smile. "You would actually do that?"

"Well, someone has to remind them of who is the boss." Tetra winked. "Thanks for giving me this awesome idea, kid."

No, it seemed wrong to call her a kid. She had grown, as had Tetra; the world had changed. Ganondorf was gone, the Ghost Ship and the monstrous Bellum defeated as well, and there was a chance that a new Hyrule would be built as well. Aryll had seen the world, and changed for it. She carried a sword of her own, and had challenged her brother to a fight right after giving him a hug. That had certainly been an interesting first meeting after finally seeing him again. There was also a look in her eyes, a look that Tetra would recognize anywhere; that was a look that she regularly saw in Link, in her crew and other pirates, and even in herself. It was more than just a desire to feel the world, but to leave a mark on it. Already, she had made her mark on the island.

"No problem," Aryll said. She picked up her bucket, then ran towards the water. "Want to help me out with this? Link is mainly focusing on the detail."

For a moment, Tetra again wanted to decline. It was so childish. Then again, who would it hurt?

She picked up another bucket, then ran to the water herself. "So what kind of sand castle are we building?"

"The best that the world will ever see!" Aryll spoke with pure confidence. "It'll be wonderful!"

ii.

Tetra had been unsure of whether getting on the roof of Link's grandmother's house was safe, but Aryll had assured her that it was fine.

"It'll be wonderful," she said, holding her hand out towards her. "Link and I used to do it all the time."

Well, it seemed that she definitely had some of her brother's courage.

"Are you sure?"

Aryll raised an eyebrow. "I thought that you were a pirate. Aren't you not afraid of anything?"

Tetra crossed her arms. "I am not afraid; all I'm doing is thinking rationally. I've got to live up to this whole Princess of Wisdom thing."

Aryll laughed.

Tetra looked away from her. The small house was filled with the smell of soup cooking and Aryll's grandmother humming. "Well, just for a few minutes. I am not staying up there all night."

Aryll's eyes widened, and she reached forward and clasped Tetra's hands with her own. "You would really do that for me?"

She nodded, her cheeks hot. "Yeah, I will." If she did it once then maybe Aryll wouldn't ask again.

"Come on," Aryll said. "The climb isn't that bad."

She hadn't been lying. Soon enough, the two were on the roof, which surprisingly did not fall in. Aryll lay down, her eyes looking above to the starry sky. She began to move around her finger.

"What are you looking at?" Tetra didn't see anything too out of the ordinary in the night sky.

"Patterns," Aryll responded.

"Like constellations?" Tetra's mother had always pointed out constellations to her as a child, telling her the names and the right times to see them. At this moment, Tetra could not see any.

"No, just patterns. They exist everywhere. I like them."

For a moment, Tetra said nothing; she had never considered things that way before.

For a while, they were silent. Aryll seemed content to look at the stars, and Tetra tried to follow along after her. It was certainly peaceful, and just the kind of break that she needed from being a pirate captain.

"My mom used to teach me about the stars." Tetra closed her eyes for a moment, allowing images to pass through her mind of her younger days, back when her mother still was alive. "Who taught you about the stars?"

"Three people," Aryll responded. "My grandmother, Link, and myself. There are a lot of nights where I come up here and look at the sky. I've been meaning to get a new telescope since Link took my old one, but I never got around to it."

Tetra laughed. "I could pick one up for you, if you'd like."

"Really?" She reached forward and hugged Tetra. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"It's nothing."

"I'd have to make it up to you somehow."

"No, it'd be fine. I won't do something free for everyone, but you are my exception." There had to have been something about Link and his sister and their grandmother; she always ended up being nice to them. Maybe they were just easy to be nice too - they were truly happy, not like those fakers that Tetra and her crew usually met. Not only were they happy, but they were kind, even to Tetra and her crew.

"You're amazing, Tetra."

She smirked. "I know."

"Tetra, may I ask you something?" Her tone had turned serious.

"Yeah, what?" She bit her lip.

"May I kiss you?"

The question took a moment to register in her mind. No one had ever asked her that before; she looked back to the girl. Then again, no one had ever truly looked at her with those wide eyes before either.

"You want to kiss me?"

Aryll's face turned red. "I'm sorry about that; I sound ridiculous, don't I? It's just something I've always wanted to do because you're so, you know, amazing, Tetra."

She grinned. "Of course you can." If anyone should, it was her. "I would be honored to."

Aryll leaned forward, then gently placed her lips against Tetra's own. They were so soft and warm, and Tetra couldn't help but lean forward. Feeling her lips on the other girl's felt nice, like something she had been waiting forever for without realizing it. It was peaceful and calm, so different from the pirate life; maybe that's why she liked it so much.

The kiss ended.

Then again, wouldn't Aryll make a wonderful pirate? She certainly had the spirit for being one; her brother Link had turned out to be great as well.

"Aryll, I wanted to say to you that you, uh..." Tetra's mouth went dry.

"What?"

"You're amazing too." It wasn't her original question, but it was something good to say. "You really are."

She smiled, moonlight reflecting off of her. "Really?"

"Really."

iii.

The next morning, Tetra finally worked up the courage to ask the big question. She and her crew would be leaving with Link soon, and she had no idea when she would see the girl again.

"Aryll," she said, looking over to her.

"Hmmm?"

"I was wondering if you had ever thought of becoming a pirate. It certainly has to look exciting." Tetra looked down to her cup of juice. "Living your life free on the open seas, exploring where people have never gone before... That has to seem pretty cool. I definitely would love it if you joined my crew. So, what do you say?"

For a moment, Aryll said nothing, just stared at Tetra wide eyed. Then, she reached out and hugged her. "Oh yes, yes, yes, yes!"

"It would be fine with your grandmother, right?"

Aryll nodded. "She told me if I ever wanted to leave, I could, just so long as I stay safe. She had traveled around and gone to other islands before when she was younger as well; she loved to see the beautiful scenery of the world."

"Well, you'll sure be seeing a lot if you come with us. So you'll do it?"

Aryll giggled. "Didn't I already say yes?"


	2. Sea Water

iv.

"Why are you always in my room so much?" Tetra pulled the band holding her bright yellow hair up, letting it fall freely down her back. "Is there something interesting about it? Are you looking for something?"

Aryll shook her head. "I'm just curious."

Tetra raised an eyebrow. "About what? Those rumors you hear about me keeping a whole chest of gold in my room is a load of shit. The other pirates just started that as a joke, and I'm sure they all know that it isn't true either."

Aryll laughed. "You couldn't fit gold in here." She plopped down onto Tetra's bed, then raised her pale arm. She pointed towards the painting that always hung on the right wall of Tetra's room. "What do you have a picture of my big brother for?"

Tetra laughed. "Oh, it's about that." She leaned against the door and closed her eyes. "Well, Aryll, I've actually had it for a while, even since before I even met Link. My mom had it, and her mom had it, and her mom had it, and I'm pretty sure that every mom had it. Let's just say that the painting is old, okay?"

"It sure looks like it." Aryll stood up, walking over to it. "So you have it because everyone else in your family had it before you?"

Tetra nodded. "That's right."

"But why didn't someone eventually throw it out? I love my big brother, but I don't see why people would keep it."

"Because he's a hero."

"I know." Her eyes softened. "Of course I know. I know the legends, too. Still, what made this painting so valuable that it had to be passed down for generations?"

"I guess because it brought hope. The Hylians had lost their land and the world had been flooded, forever changed. They didn't have much hope to go around, so they had to cling to whatever was left."

v.

"Ugh," Aryll commented, squeezing her nose. "What happened?" She walked past the large green-brown pile, careful not to get her feet messy.

"That's dirt," Tetra commented, grinning.

"Dirt? You're actually excited about getting dirt?" Her eyes flitted to where her brother stood beside the ship's captain. He had just as wide of a grin spread out across his face, and never once did his eyes leave the disgusting smelling pile in front of him. "What do we even need dirt for? It's not like anything can grow on this ship."

"Okay, maybe sand is a better word." Tetra shrugged. "Dirt, sand, to a pirate it's mostly the same stuff."

"I still don't see why we need this."

Aryll took a long, hard look at both of them. How could they possible not be bothered by the smell? Was the dirt really that exciting?

"It's not the dirt, but what's in it." Both Tetra and Link leaned down, their eyes widening. "If my calculations are right, then we didn't just bring up dirt, but gold and jewels that were lost in a wreck years before."

Tetra and Link stuck their hands inside of the wet, gross dirt as if it were the most normal thing in the world; Aryll looked away from them, trying to focus instead on the ship and the blue water beyond.

"Link, I bet we're going to do great."

Aryll walked over to the edge of the ship, each step taken with care. She just needed to get to the edge of the ship, as far away from the dirt as possible. The smell of sea salt would make her feel normal; there was nothing quite like the smell of it. It was a comfort, a smell that she had inhaled years before she even stepped foot on Tetra's ship.

Once she made it to the edge of the ship, she put her hands on the wooden rail and looked out to the water below. If she squinted, then she could see fish swimming along.

She had once thought that the pirate's ship would be hard to deal with, loud and full of mischief. Sometimes it was, but most of the time it was actually rather calm. Tetra and her crew never caused more trouble than they needed to.

Well, most of the time. Aryll still couldn't see why they had needed that dirt so badly.

"Ugh!" Tetra roared.

Aryll turned around.

Tetra and Link were absolutely filthy, almost every part of them covered in some part of the wet, sandy dirt. Link was trying to get it off of his clothing, but that only caused it to stick to his arms and hands. He looked like he was both disgusted and angry, and Aryll couldn't tell which one he felt more like. Tetra was definitely angry.

"That didn't work! I could have sworn that it would!" Tetra threw her hands into the air.

Aryll sighed, then turned back to looking at the waves below. At least she wouldn't be the one stuck cleaning up the mess.

vi.

Aryll scooted closer to Tetra. She didn't believe any of the stories that the other pirates were telling, but she stayed close to Tetra anyway. A few of the kids back home had tried to scare her with ghost stories before too, usually ending where they jumped out at her. If she had the pirate captain beside her then surely they wouldn't do it.

Tetra, in turn, wrapped her arm around the side of her waist. Her hand was warm and her touch light. The edges of Aryll's cheeks turned pink, though thankfully it was too dark for anyone to notice.

Link seemed unfazed. A few of the other pirates looked the same, though she could notice hints of worry in their eyes.

"And that's why you have to be careful at sea," Zuko said, his voice lowering. "The sea can be cruel, and you don't want to face certain parts of her. There is a reason that we tell these tales."

"Boring," Niko commented, adjusting his glasses. "You could have done way better than that."

A few of the other pirates nodded, and Aryll joined in.

"Well, who has something better?" Zuko raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure everyone does." Tetra smirked.

A few began to laugh, Aryll included.

"Let me try," Nico said, waving his hands. "I have a really good one."

"That's what you said the last time," Zuko responded. "That story was awful."

"Just let him tell it," Tetra said. She rolled her eyes. "It's not like anything that we tell is actually true."

"But my story is," Nico said.

"Oh, really?" She raised a blond eyebrow. The edges of her lips wrinkled. "Tell me, how do you know it's true?"

"I know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Tetra responded. "As if. Link and I have probably lived through something ten times more horrifying than anything that you're about to describe, Niko."

"Tetra," Aryll said, "does anything scare you?"

She paused. "Well, the truth is that I would be lying if I told you no."

A few of the pirates gasped.

"I know, I know," Tetra responded. "Still, if hundreds of super powerful monsters are coming up to fight you then you would be scared too. I guess you could say that I'm afraid of losing, that everything that I've worked so hard to do right or to gain will be lost because someone or something has defeated me." She looked over to Link, and then to Aryll. "But I suppose that you two can relate."

For a moment, everyone was silent.

"Tonight wasn't that fun." Tetra released Aryll, then stood up and stretched out her arms. "Let's go eat something and then get to bed. I heard that the sun is going to be really hot tomorrow. Everyone needs to be ready for a brand new day."


	3. Endless Skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, Tetra has to be everyone and everything to most, but never Aryll.

vii.

"Tetra, what are you doing?" Aryll stepped away from her, surveying the scene in front of her. Surely that wasn't Tetra, but she clearly also was. "Tetra, you look so, so-"

"What?" Tetra raised a blond eyebrow, smirking slightly. "I really hope that you don't say ugly."

"No, of course not." Aryll looked away from her. "It's just that you look so formal. You're just standing there and looking in a mirror, your back straight, and your movements looking so stiff. What's gotten into you?"

Tetra certainly wasn't the type to keep a mirror around, unless of course she needed some glass shards.

"It's nothing that you should be worrying about, Aryll. This is my business only." Tetra looked back to the mirror, continuing to look at herself as if nothing had happened. "You wouldn't understand."

Aryll stood still for a moment, trying to process the words. What was Tetra even saying? She was standing in front of a mirror and analyzing herself. Did she think that there was something wrong with her? Aryll hadn't even known that the ship had a mirror!

"Tetra-"

"Really, Aryll, you wouldn't get it." She sighed. "I'm not even sure that the rest of the ship would understand it."

"Even Link?" Aryll stepped forward, balling her fists.

"No, not even him; I just don't think that Link would fully be able to understand it.." She sighed, then turned to her. "This isn't as bad as it looks."

"Then what is it?"

"I'm only practicing."

"What?"

"Aryll..." Tetra trailed off, looking back at herself in the mirror. Weakly, she raised her arm. "Someday I am going to be the next ruler of Hyrule, at least once we manage to bring it back into its old glory." She tugged on the front of her shirt. "I may have fun with you guys, but I have to make sure that I one day look and act like a real princess should."

Aryll raised an eyebrow. "Have you ever met another princess?"

"No." Tetra's voice rose slightly. "Why?"

"Then I guess that you have no one else to compare yourself to." Aryll chuckled. "You know, when I was little Link and I used to pretend that we were mermaids. He was the prince of the mermaid kingdom, and I was the princess. Going from past princess experience, I can tell you that you are doing just fine the way that you are."

Tetra laughed. "You guys really did?"

"Why would I lie about that?" Aryll closed her eyes, picturing her and her brother before Ganondorf had kidnapped her, and soon after they had moved in with their grandmother. "It was a lot of fun."

"I'm sure that it was."

"This doesn't look fun."

"Well-"

"And it doesn't look like you need to do it, either." Aryll held out her hand towards the taller woman. "Link has been wanting to have a little sword fight with you before dinner. The other pirates are already placing bets."

Tetra snorted. "That certainly sounds like them."

"Come on." Aryll bounced from one foot to the other. "I need you to go fight and earn me some Rupees, princess."

viii.

In all truths, Tetra had never actually cooked before. Her mother had tried to teach her a few times, but Tetra either would refuse to pay attention, spend the whole time begging to lick the spoon, or their ship would be attacked by other pirates (not that the invading forces ever won). A few of her crew had tried it with mixed results. Link had made some surprisingly good stew (only) one time, and Nico was a better cook than he looked. A few of her other crew were far from good, but they did better than Tetra (if only because they actually tried).

For once, she was sick of eating her ship's supply of stored foods. There was far better food in the world, and Tetra would have it.

"By Farore," Tetra whispered, leaning in closer to the ancient book. The paper was old and yellowed, and every time she touched it she was careful not to accidentally damage the paper. "Could the text be any tinier?"

On the page was the smallest Hylian that she had ever seen; the symbols being so closely put together did not help much either. Tetra looked up from her book, back to the boiling cauldron. It seemed like something that would have a witch's potion inside of it instead of just soup.

"Mom could read this if she were here," Tetra whispered, looking back down to the pages. It had taken her a while to find the book, having to search the ship high and low until she finally found it again. She had many of her mother's old possessions, but this was one that she had refused to look at after her death. It had always been by her mother's side. Tetra's mother could lead a feared band of pirates, travel across the Great Sea, fight better than any other pirate, kill if needed, and could cook.

"Good food," her mother had once said as she stirred a bowl of delicious smelling soup. She wiped some hair away from her eyes. "Is something that should not always have to be stolen. Sometimes, you will have to make it yourself, and failure will only sicken the tongue and sour the stomach."

I should have paid more attention, Tetra thought, staring into her reflection in the cauldron.

She could run a ship just fine most of the time, but she and her crew got hungry.

Tetra began to stir the soup again. It didn't look that bad. If anyone complained, then Tetra could always tell them to shut their mouths and that they were to make the next night's dinner. That would give them a good scare, and the rest of the ship a good laugh.

"Hmmm," Tetra said, taking a quick sip of her soup. "It could use a few more vegetables; everyone on this ship could use some."

She walked over to where she had laid out some vegetables earlier and began to mince some carrots. She couldn't remember if her mother had added carrots to her soup, but it couldn't be that bad to add some. It would surely still taste fine.

Once she had finished mincing the carrots, Tetra added them in, watching the little pieces fall into the cauldron. They distorted her reflection, and sent ripples across the cauldron's surface.

"Tetra."

Tetra looked up. "Aryll, what are you doing here?" She tensed.

Aryll raised her eyebrow. "I just came in here to check on you, to make sure that you were doing fine. You were not in your room like usual." She smirked. "I am finding you in a lot of weird places."

Thankfully, Tetra's naturally dark skin hid her blush. She relaxed - after all, what point was there in being tense? It was only Aryll who was there, and soon enough her entire ship would know that she had made them dinner. 

"Are you really making dinner?" Aryll brightened, and walked over to the cauldron. "I had thought that was just a rumor, but this smells delicious."

"Really?"

Aryll giggled. "Of course it does, Tetra. Besides, it's certainly different from what we have been eating over the last few weeks." Aryll closed her eyes and took a long breath. "Can I try some?"

"Sure," Tetra said, handing her the ladle. "Just don't eat too much; it isn't even finished yet."

As Aryll took a sip, Tetra watched her. She did not hesitate to pull the ladle to her lips, and her face did not change as she took a taste. That was as good of a sign as any.

"You never told me that you could cook."

"Oh, I guess that I never got around to letting you know." Tetra's eyes darted away from her. "I guess that I was just a bit too busy." Tetra closed her mother's book; she had gone far enough away from the recipe already to not even need it.

Aryll chuckled. "Maybe I can help you out next time."

"I think that would be good."

After all, Tetra might not get so lucky next time.

Tetra allowed Aryll an extra sip.

ix.

There was hardly a cloud in the sky, a good wind was blowing, and the water was peaceful. Tetra could not have asked for a better day; still, she got one. Surprisingly, the other pirates had managed to get their work done as well, meaning the ship could relax (though they always had their weapons with them in case something happened).

Tetra sat on top of a barrel and looked up to the sky, watching some seagulls fly above her. The smell of salt filled her nose, and the sound of waves filled her ears.

I'm glad that everyone has stopped their chattering, Tetra thought. It was almost strange, having the constant noise be absent, but Tetra preferred today to what she usually heard. Maybe everyone else was just as happy as her to be able to enjoy a peaceful day.

There had been peaceful days before, but none quite like this. For all the excitement that the job of a pirate advertised, a day to relax was always still welcome.

"Tetra?"

Tetra turned. "Oh, Aryll, I didn't hear you."

Aryll, even before she could train, had been ready to become a good pirate. Unlike most, she could be quiet and even sneakier. Her sword was in a sheath attached to her side, and she held a box in her right hand.

"Is something wrong?"

Aryll held the box up, allowing Tetra a closer look. "I was actually going to ask you-"

"Is that Link's?"

Aryll's cheeks turned slightly pink. "I just wanted to see if you would take pictures with me."

"Oh," Tetra said, "sure."

The clear sky would be a perfect background. Besides, Link probably wouldn't notice that the old thing was missing. He had stopped using it years before; Tetra had not even realized that he still had it.

Aryll immediately bounced into action, putting an arm around Tetra and holding up the pictograph box towards them.

"Smile!" Aryll said.

Tetra did.

The pictograph box clicked.

"Another," Aryll said. "This time, lets make it silly!"

"Fine," Tetra said, picking Aryll up in one arm.

Aryll giggled, and the camera clicked.

"Can I see what they look like?" Tetra asked.

Aryll shook her head. "I want to take another."

"And another after that, too?"

"Just one more." Aryll held the camera up, and then leaned in and kissed Tetra.

The day certainly had started great and had gotten better. This time, however, Tetra had proof of it on camera.


	4. Water and Wood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ocean, Tetra knew, could be both beautiful and dangerous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me forever to update. But thanks for the comment and kudos! They mean a lot to me, and I hope everyone enjoys the final chapter.

x.

He had been in the ship one moment and off it the next. Like the sea wind, there one second and then gone the next (with only blown hair to show for it), Gonzo vanished even when the whole ship needed them.

The sea wasn't known for its mercy. Sailors who called it their home just as easily could call it their graves. If a storm came up or someone went off board, there was no guarantee of survival. No solid ground, no solid proof, and no solid hope. The ocean, Tetra knew, could be both beautiful and dangerous.

Gonzo was a strong swimmer, that Tetra knew.

Just got to get him back on board, Tetra thought. We need to get everything in order and get everyone calm. This has happened before.

It had. If they survived it once, then there was still a chance that they could survive this again. Not a one hundred percent chance, but Tetra would take any chance over no chance.

"Everyone, calm down!" Tetra roared. For once, however, her fiery voice didn't seem to catch their attention. "Everyone!"

Everyone was screaming, a mess filling Tetra's ears. Yelling, shouts, thumps, footsteps. Even when she stopped trying to yell to them, the screaming went on, as if none of the men aboard had ever been a bought boat before.

Tetra rushed forward. Of course she would have to be the one who would have to get something done. Her mother had taught her years before that this job took initiative, and yet it wasn't until then that she had known just how much.

Would she have even been able to calm the crew now? Tetra thought.

Everyone seemed to be in front of her, blocking her view from the water below. The voices all mixed together into one big clump. There was Niko in front of her, and there to her right was-

Tetra's heart skipped a beat.

Aryll.

"Hold on!" Aryll shouted, her voice rising clearly over the others. "I'm coming to get you, Gonzo! Just try and stay above the water!"

"Out of my way!" Tetra roared. By the time she finished screaming, her throat burned and her fists had been tightly clenched.

Only now did the crowd of the crew move. The setting sun's light reflected off of them, turning their skin various shades of orange.

I should have done this sooner, Tetra thought as she raced towards the edge of the ship. Leaning over the wooden railing, she looked down into the water below.

In moments, when Tetra had been yelling her head off (too focused on her crew, far too focused), she had managed to slip past Tetra's vision and drop down into the water below. Now, all that the pirate captain could see of her was a bobbing yellow head that swam against the tide.

Tetra bit her lip. It would be so easy to just jump in after her. Getting out? Not nearly as easy, and there were enough down in the water already.

As if to make things worse, a sudden breeze started up again. Loose strands of blond hair momentarily blocked Tetra's vision.

She turned. "Take down the sales! Drop the anchor! We can't get separated!"

For a moment, her crew merely blinked at her.

"Captain's orders!"

They quickly scrambled away.

Tetra's breathing was coming in fast, and leaving out of her even faster.

She had seen her entire crew save Link. He certainly wouldn't have been running around screaming. While her stomach twisted, she searched for Link. He could at least help her with ropes.

"Link!" Tetra yelled. "Link, I need to see you!"

He had to have heard what was going on. Wherever he was, he was needed up there right then. If he wanted to save his sister and teammate, then he better come running.

"Get here right this instant, Link!" Tetra turned back towards the water. Below her, two bodies were visible above the water, yet only one looked to really be moving.

Aryll, Tetra thought. What are you doing?

She may not have been the little kid that she had once been, back when they had first met, but she wasn't the strongest woman in the world ever. How did she possibly expect to get both Gonzo and her back on the boat.

Gonzo, she noticed, didn't look to be moving in the slightest.

Did something happen? Is he hurt? If he was, how could she possibly get him back on board?

"Link! Please, Link!"

He finally appeared. Tetra's vision was blurring, her mind moving a mile a minute.

"Link, we need to throw rope down in the water. You and me? We have to get Gonzo out."

Link nodded.

The two ran to the side of the ship where rope was kept.

"Just hang in there, you guys!" Tetra yelled. "We're going to get you out!"

Oh, Nayru, Din, and Farore, Tetra thought. I know that I don't think about you as often as I should, but can you please help me now? Gonzo has been a great friend to me, and I don't know how my pirate crew could survive without the big guy. And Aryll? Oh please, please, please don't let anything happen to Aryll. She means the world to me, and if she were gone, I, I- Well I don't know what I'd do. Please, help her, for me and Link. He wouldn't want to lose his sister. You have to listen to me!

Her prayer turned into a jumble, a mess as big as the sudden problem that the crew was facing.

If I could just get to her in time, Tetra thought. Then everything will be okay.

The two took the rope and threw it overboard.

"Grab it, Aryll!" Tetra yelled. "Grab it!"

"Gonzo isn't moving!" she yelled back. At the end, she gasped.

"Aryll, grab the rope!"

"But," Aryll yelled, her head momentarily sinking below the water, "Gonzo!"

Tears stung at Tetra's eyes. "Just grab the rope and tie it around him, okay? Then hold onto his body, like you're doing now! We'll get you both up! Just please get the rope, Aryll!"

She was only a few feet from it. Aryll pushed forward, using a strength Tetra doubted that even she had. Tetra almost cheered when she saw Aryll's hands wrap around the rope. Link's eyes widened and a grin spread across his face. He tightened his grip on his side of the rope, and Tetra followed.

Pulling them up was harder than Tetra had ever imagined. She had known Gonzo was made of muscle, but it almost felt like his body was made of stone. Aryll was on there too. Both were probably even heavier from all the seawater in them.

Just keep pulling, Tetra reminded herself. They'll never be up if you don't pull them.

Tetra's hands ached, the rope digging into her skin. As calloused and rough as her hands already were, she would soon have fresh blisters.

But that didn't matter now. Not now, when her world felt ready to collapse.

This wasn't how things were suposed to go. This was supposed to be smooth sailing.

Tetra took in a deep breath, then let the next one out.

She just needed to keep focusing.

xi.

"That was a really ridiculous thing that you did today," Tetra said. She held a cold cloth over Aryll's forehead before gently placing it down and smoothing out the wrinkles.

"I had to," Aryll replied. She closed her eyes. "That feels good."

"It better," Tetra replied. "You definitely need it, after what you did today." Tetra's own muscles still ached from all the work that she had done that day. It had taken a while for her to start breathing regularly again, to calm herself down. Her hands ached and eyes felt ready to fall at any moment. Were it not for Aryll, she might have already been asleep.

"I couldn't have let him drown. He needed me."

Tetra nodded. Gonzo had gotten hurt, tearing his ankle when he accidentally fell overboard, keeping him from swimming. It had gotten him a nasty bruise, and he'd need a cane to move around the ship.

"Don't think I won't use this," he had said earlier, waving it at Niko. The other man's eyes had widened beneath his glasses and he had quickly scampered off.

"And I need you."

Aryll was silent.

"I need you, Aryll." Tetra repeated. "When you jumped overboard, I was really scared that you were going to drown." She bit her lip.

"Tetra-"

"But that doesn't mean that I'm not proud of what you did."

Aryll's eyes widened.

"It wasn't the best decision, but I wouldn't call it the wrong one either. You did what you knew was right, and I'm not sure many others on this ship would have done the same thing."

"Do you really mean that?" Aryll's voice lowered.

"Of course." She placed her hand over Aryll's own, the one that wasn't hidden beneath her blue blanket. "I'm not saying that you should always be throwing yourself in harms way. That's my thing. You should be the one worrying."

Aryll laughed. "You kind of do."

"Yeah, I kind of do." Tetra winked. "And hey, what you did today reminded me a lot of what your brother would do."

"Is that supposed to be a bad thing?"

"No!" Tetra laughed. "But I have to admit, with the calm way that you react to things, thinking things over before you do them, except for what happened today of course, I do sometimes forget that you two are related."

Aryll laughed again, and then closed her eyes. "You don't need to worry too much about me now, Tetra. I'm feeling better than I was before, and should be better at most in a few days, if not tomorrow. Now, I'm on the ship, below deck. I'm nowhere near the water."

"Aryll, you're in a boat."

Aryll gave a weak chuckle. "Yeah, I am." She paused. "Good night, Tetra."

Tetra leaned down, placing a kiss just above the cloth on her forehead. Aryll's blond hair tickled Tetra's lips.

"Good night," Tetra replied. She leaned down and placed another quick, chaste, kiss on Aryll's lips. "And sweet dreams, Aryll."

xii.

"What are you doing out here so late?"

"Huh?" Tetra looked up, her hand still halfway towards the sword strapped to her side.

"Sorry for shocking you," Aryll said, sitting down on the ship's wooden floor beside her. "I was just looking for you, and one of the crew mentioned you being outside looking at the stars."

"Oh, yeah," Tetra replied. For the most part, the stars had just been little lights up in the sky, something for her eyes to focus on while her mind was moving.

"What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

Aryll rolled her eyes. "It may be dark out, but I can tell by your face, along with your tone of voice, that something's wrong."

"Oh," Tetra replied. "Yeah, something is, but it's not anything that you should be worried about."

Aryll laced her hand through Tetra's own. "Of course I would be worried about it. I care about you, Tetra."

Tetra felt herself blush. Were it not for her naturally dark skin and the sun's lack of prescense from the sky, then surely Aryll would have noticed. She always seemed to notice everything else.

"Really, don't be worried about it. This really just concerns me, not you."

"Are you sick?"

Tetra shook her head.

"Injured?"

"No, Aryll."

"Scared?"

Tetra bit her lip. "Like I said, this really doesn't concern you."

"You're worried, so I'm worried."

Tetra stood up, breaking their hands apart. "I'm serious, Aryll. This really doesn't concern you. I..." She sighed. "As much as you care about me, you can't do anything about this."

"What is it?" Aryll's eyes fell. "Tetra, I really am worried about you. Can you at least tell me what's going on?"

Tetra took a breath in, then let it back out. "Aryll, this is about me being a princess."

"Zelda?"

"Yeah, Zelda. One day, I'll have to rule over a kingdom, be a queen, look over a new Hyrule. As much as I don't like it, I still have to do it. Someday I won't be able to be a pirate." Tetra looked around the ship, the one place that she had always been able to call home, even if it did move constantly. "And when that happens, and it definitely will, then I'll just to accept it. Things are going to change, and I can't seem to stop it." Her stomach tightened.

There's just salt in my eyes, she told herself as her vision blurred. She reached up to wipe it, but soon more came.

It was true, wasn't it? Time was going to pass. She could only run away from her problems for so long. Eventually she would have to settle down and take her rightful spot as ruler of a new Hyrule, even if that did involve staying landlocked and having to deal with politics. She would have power, yes, but she doubted that she could treat an entire kingdom like she did her ship crew. It was a new kingdom after all, and if she wanted people to stay there then she would have to actually watch over it with care and keep it safe.

It was going to happen. Her life was changing courses, sailing in a new direction.

And nothing was ever going to change that.

Warm arms wrapped around Tetra's waist and squeezed it tightly.

"I know, Tetra."

"Aryll?"

"Things change. Link and I both know it. If you think you're worried, go see him. He's scared he'll have to save the whole world all over again!"

Tetra gave a weak chuckle. "Let's hope not. Knowing him, he'll need me to shoot more than a few arrows for him."

"And knowing you, you'll need my help too." Aryll giggled, and Tetra couldn't help but join along.

"But, Aryll, things will change. I'll be busy, and you probably will too. Things will change, both for the world and us."

"That doesn't mean that I have to leave you." Aryll looked up, her eyes locking on Tetra's. Even in the moonlight, her eyes sparkled with a deep light. "We'll work things out when we get to the future, okay?"

Tetra nodded. "Okay." Snaking her hands around Aryll's own waist, she pulled the other girl closer to her and held her tightly.


End file.
